Kirby - Syatt Of Jax - Syatt Of Jacksonville
Worst hard sell salesmen I have ever dealt with they even suckered in my husband

It was a very hot, humid afternoon in Florida. I answered my doorbell, and there was a man and a woman standing there. They were nicely dressed in business clothes, and obviously very hot. They told me they were going door to door to introduce a new business that was opening in my neighborhood. When I asked what kind of business, they told me household cleaning products. I began my stock speech about my household having people with allergies to certain things, and I just don't buy unknown products any more.

The lady told me that her companion was a new employee, and he had to make 15 demonstrations by a certain deadline, and it would only take a few minutes. She also said he got paid $25 for each demo, and he needed the money. I tried again to say no, buy the two of them out-talked me.

Let me add here that I was home because I had severe muscle spasms in my back, and I had taken a muscle relaxer and a pain pill about half an hour before they arrived. I was not in any shape to go to war, and I did not yet pick up on the so obvious hard sell moves. I told them I wasn't feeling well, and I couldn't stand there in the heat any longer. They jumped on that. They would be happy to come inside and let me sit down while Mr. X did his demo, and then we would all be comfortable, and it would only take a minute.

Like P.T. Barnum said, "There's one born every minute!" I fell for it. Once inside, the lady introduced the man again, and said she had another salesman in the neighborhood, and she had to go and pick him up, so she would leave Mr. X here to do his demo. And... Zip... She was gone!

Now, I realize that I am stuck with Mr. X until she returns. Mr. X goes to the door and brings in a couple of big boxes. I see the logo. Oh, no! The name on the boxes is Kirby. Now I know what I have done! And Mr. X goes on for hours about his "cleaning products".
Just like the salesman in another report in this website, he has a sob story about how his wife dies of cancer 2 years ago, he lost his job because he took off so much time to care for her. Things have been rough, he has a little girl. She misses her mother, he is trying very hard to be a good parent. If he sells some number of vacuum cleaners by the end of this week, he will win a trip to New Orleans with his little girl. It is an annual party the company has for employees who meet certain sales goals.

Now I really am sorry I answered the doorbell! Then the man takes my own vacuum cleaner, an Oreck, 4 years old, and vacuums across the middle of the small rug in front of my sofa. Next he vacuums the same space with his Kirby. OF course, the little white filter paper is dirty.

I think the dirt must be loaded into the vacuum before he brings it to my house. That little rug was only a few weeks old. We have no carpet in our house. Our floors are tile, ceramic tile. When our grandchild was born, we bought this small area rug to give him a soft place to play.

So, now Mr. X begins to sprinkle handfuls of salt on the rug. Then he vacuums over the salty part with my vacuum cleaner, he actually counts to 100 passes over the same area. Then he fires up the Kirby and counts to 100 passes over that place again. Yes, there is salt in the filter. And the punishment of the power brush roller has lifted fuzz an inch high from the yarns of the rug. It looks like a shaggy dog where he has beaten it to death. I am beginning to get upset.

This is when I tell him the demo is impressive, but I cannot afford to buy another vacuum cleaner at this time. Besides, I point out to him, I already have 5 vacuum cleaners in the house, and I have such a bad back (remember the spasms? It is true) I can't run a vacuum cleaner myself any more. He doesn't believe me.
I get up and bring into the living room my favorite vacuum, the Rainbow. He already has the Oreck. I bring the Oreck stick broom, the Dirt Devil hand vac, and the small Oreck canister type vacuum that came with the big Oreck. I said,

Now you can see what I mean. I don't need a vacuum cleaner. I couldn't lug around that Kirby monster anyway, even if I had a brand new back. So, it has been fun and interesting, but you can pack up now and leave.
So the man gets out his clipboard and begins to figure prices. I put away my own cleaners, one by one, and he continues to talk about what a good job this Kirby does, how advanced it is, and he can get me a better price. Now he wants to make a phone call. He calls someone, talks a little and hangs up. He can give me a break on the price! I think the price started out at $2500.
Now, here comes the lady back, and she adds her bit to the sales pitch. I am praying for my husband to come home, because I am feeling worse and worse. These people first arrived around 3:30 pm. It is now after 6. The next arrival is Mr. X's "manager". He adds his heap of corn to the pile. I insist that I do not want the vacuum cleaner, I can't afford it, and I am unable to use it. They have a new approach every time I open my mouth. And they keep reminding me of the poor motherless child, the bereaved husband. They harp on the presence of dust mites in my house and bedding as if dust mites had just arrived from outer space, when in fact, they have evolved on this planet just like we have, and have always been a part of human life.

If I had any sense, I would have called 911 and reported a home invasion. There are 3 of them. More price haggling, they are down to about $1500
now.

At last, my husband comes home. He takes in my situation at a glance. He is tired from work, he gets a cold drink and sits down in his favorite chair. I can't believe it! He is not being his normal self at all! He is not yelling at me, or them. He sits down and asks a question or two, and off we go again. He gets the price down to $800! Before he gets that offer, he has the two grown men, dressed in crisp khakis and dress shirts and ties, kneeling side by side on my now fuzzy carpet, with their hands folded, pleading for the trip for the little girl. The lady is standing by the sofa, watching the whole show. I am embarrassed now. What kind of fool am I?
So, I ask my husband to come into the next room, and I tell him, "I don't want the Kirby. I have always known how heavy they are, and how lousy they work, and I have used other peoples Kirbys, and I do not want one. Please tell them no, and make them leave. It is after 8 o'clock, I am in pain, and they won't give up." My husband listens to me, and walks right out and tells them it costs too much. That is when they went into a huddle, and then offered the Kirby for $800. And my husband told them yes! I could not believe it! He never falls for that stuff!

Yes, we bought the! @#$#$% Kirby cleaner. Yes, it is heavy. I weighed it, empty, just the regular carpet setup= 25 lbs. I now have the carpet cleaning accessories as well. We have no carpet in the house, only the 5 x 8 rug for the baby.

I thought about calling the company office here, and talking to them about returning the machine and getting some of my money back. But after I read the reports of some other victims, I realize that it won't do any good. I can't really complain to the law, because we did agree to buy the thing.

Maybe I can donate it to the Salvation Army. That man spent 6 hours in my house, with two other people part of the time. It took me totally by surprise when my husband agreed to buy the vacuum. I don't know to this day why he did it. Maybe it is a practical joke on me, because I have other vacuums, but I don't use them. Oh, I forgot the sad part: the salesmen took my Oreck as a "trade in" on their Kirby. Now, my cleaning lady brings her own vacuum cleaner to clean my house. Yes, it is an Oreck! And the Oreck did have a maintenance agreement on it.
Please tell me if there is anything I can do about this unscrupulous business.

One born every minute
Jacksonville, Florida
U.S.A.

Company: Kirby - Syatt Of Jax - Syatt Of Jacksonville
Country: USA
State: Florida
City: Jacksonville
Address: 9440 Phillips Highway, Suite 1
Phone: 9042684233

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